Race against time, toughest road race ready to blast off

It has been a race against time since October to stage this year’s WRC Safari Rally.

After months of speculation, the FIA World Motor Sport Council released the 2024 WRC calendar on October 19 last year which moved the event from the traditional end of June date to March 28-31, thus returning the Safari to the Easter period for the first time in 26 years.

This called for a new set of deadlines. However, by then, the 2024 route was already work in progress and the clerk of course Gurvi Bhabra and his team had the latitude to make some amendments on the route to get 367km of competitive distance which makes the Safari the longest in the WRC calendar.

This was followed by a seamless transition in management early this year following the term expiry of the previous office headed by Phineas Kimathi and the Carl Tundo-headed Local Organising Committee.

Fortunately, the government has always continued to support the Safari since its return to the WRC in 2020, but first ran the following year because of Covid.

The 2024 Safari comes with new challenges and tidings through mother nature. The current rains promise yet another unique feature of the Safari, still regarded as the toughest in the world calendar. This year it will reclaim yet another lost heritage of endurance which will test the drivers' skills and vehicles' potency to the ultimate.

The WRC Safari Rally has grown into a major economic and media-driven brand which has contributed Sh63 billion to the economy.

The 2023 WRC Safari Rally Kenya generated free organic media publicity worth Sh511.4 on print and electronic in Kenya and Sh4.5 billion globally.

The Safari will offer Kenya another uninterrupted global sporting attention through Rally.TV production which will reach over 120 million people in over 150 countries.

As existing figures demonstrate, although the Safari is viewed by the general public as a sporting event, it is also an economic activity.

Like in previous editions, more young Kenyans are expected to cash in on a windfall from fun-seeking Kenyans who are expected in Naivasha this Easter weekend, estimated to be more than 100,000.

The rally has developed a niche as the most watched event in the WRC calendar, and competes favourably with annual international events such as Uefa Champions League, Tour de France, Wimbledon and PGA golf tours in June to earn the "Blue Riband" sporting event of the year.

Last year was an exceptionally good year for the Safari which once again surpassed previous media publicity figures following a concerted effort to converge and broaden all planning activities with innovative events that reached the global audience namely; M-Sport Ford team’s visit to Olympics marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge training camp at Kaptagat, President William Ruto’s ride in Pierre Loubet Ford Puma R1 car at Ndulele Shakedown stage, legends dinner bringing together past Safari Rally drivers, Deputy President Gachagua Rigathi’s flag-off ceremony at Uhuru Park, and open small-scale trading in spectator stages.

This year, even better publicity has been realised through P1 drivers guided tour of Masai Mara and return of the start at the KICC.

Crucially, although traffic flow has been a challenge in the past, safety and environment conservations have been spot on.

These standards must be maintained or surpassed for the Safari at a time more countries, notably Saudi Arabia, Ireland and Paraguay are angling for a place in the 2025 calendar which means that some events might be binned.

As Kenyans, we should wish the organisers all the best this weekend for a successful event because Kenya cannot afford to lose the Safari again.

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